Floating moveable dock



Nov. 8, 1966 L. H PHILLIPS 3,283,517

FLOATING MOVEABLE DOCK Filed Sept. 20, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l it FIGURE 3 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sapt. 20. 1963 k mtbwi vw ATTORNEY.

Nov. 8, 1966 H. PHILLIPS 3,283,517

FLOATING MOVEABLE DOCK Filed Sept. 20, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGURE IO FIGURE 9 United States Patent Ofiice 3,283,517 FLOATING MOVEABLE DOCK Lloyd H. Phillips, 1212 S. Garry Road, Liberty Lake, Wash.

Filed Sept. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 310,289 1 Claim. (Cl. 61-48) I and lowering of water level by reason of tide, seasonal or temporary weather change and the physical abuse brought on by water force or iceit is practically necessary to retract the normal dock from the water at times when it is not in use. To this end various combinations of wheels and wheel-like device-s have come to be known to aid in the movement of such docks. Even, on occasion, a combination of a float :and wheel device has occurred, 'but in the past the result of such combination has been complicated, clumsy to handle and not mechanically reliable. With these factors in mind, the present invention was conceived.

It is a primary object of my inventionto provide a dock structure, manually moveable, adapted to rest with one end fixed to the shore and the other end extending into a body of water and floating thereon.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device of the nature aforesaid that carries rotatably mounted floats of a wheel-like nature adapted to aid in moving said dock upon the shore when need be.

'It is a further object of my invention to provide a species of clock of the nature aforesaid having moveably attached swimming ladders at its extended end adapted to aid in preventing lateral movement of the extended end portion of the dock.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a dock of the nature aforesaid of simple and rugged construction with interchangeable, easily replaceable parts and of a simple and economical manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the view of the primary form of my dock showing its surface configuration and arrangement of parts.

FIGURE 2 is a crosssectional view of FIGURE 1 taken on the line 22 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken on a vertical plane parallel to the longer dimension of the dock, showing the detailed structure of the cross members at the shoreward end of the dock.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken parallel to the longer dimension of the FIGURE 1 on the line 4-4 in the direction indicated 'by the arrows thereon.

FIGURE 5 is a similar cross-sectional view to that of FIGURE 4 taken on the plane 55 of FIGURE 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.

FIGURE 6 is a somewhat enlarged isometric view of 3,283,517 Patented Nov. 8, 1%66 the roller-float portion of my invention showing one of the end mounting brackets that attach it to the under portion of the dock.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the float portion of the dock illustrated in FIGURE 1, again taken on the line 7-7 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.

FIGURE 8 is a partial isometric view of the end part of a species of my dock having attached swimming ladders, showing the configuration and arrangement of parts.

FIGURE 9 is an end view, idealized, showing swimming ladders in place on the bottom of a body of water to illustrate their operation in maintaining the lateral stability of my dock.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged partial isometric view of the side portion of my dock showing the member that receives the swimming ladder in some detail.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail and particularly to those of FIGURE 1, it will be seen that my invention comprises essentially the decking planks 12 carried by an elongate rigid planar frame 13 which has at one end means to support the dock on the shore and at the other means of supporting it by flotation upon the surface of water. In describing the invention in detail it will be convenient to refer to the ends and sidesof the dock and in so doing the left end in FIGURE 1 will be referred to as the shore end and the right end .as the floating end; right and left will be determined with reference to a person standing on the dock and facing the floating end.

The planar frame 13 of my invention is constructed from hollow box beams, as illustrated, with two similar longer side beams 14 being rigidly joined perpendicularly to two shorter parallel end beams '15. A plurality of cross pieces 16 similar in size and shape to the end beams 15 are provided in a parallel fashion between the end beams 15 to give suflicient rigidity to the decking planks 12 as required in an individual case. In the illustration three such cross pieces 16 are shown and in normal usage of ordinary docks of some 20 odd feet in length this number is proper.

In constructing this underframe 13 for my dock I pefer to join the various members 14, 15, 16 by welding if they be metallic. I prefer to use a box beam for this structure 13 and to seal all of the various open ends of such members with appropriate plates 17, where they are not welded to the side of another beam, so that the interior of each of the frame beams will comprise a closed chamber filled with air or other floatable substance to provide additional buoyancy for my dock. The upper surface of my dock is shceted with rigid decking planks 12, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. I prefer to have the longer dimension of these planks 12 parallel with the side beams 14 to provide for easier fastening, though obviously they could be oriented in other directions. These p'lanks 12 should be of appropriate width and length so that they do not extend completely to the outermost periphery of the lower frame 13 to aid in avoiding physical damage to the-m and to dock users. 'I prefer that this planking 12 be of the V groove type illustrated to provide for easy drainage. The planking 12 is fastened to the end beams 15 and intermediate cross pieces 16 by means of metal screws 18 having conical heads 19 that may be countersunk into the decking planks 12, as illustrated in FIG- URE 2, so that the upper projection of the screws .18 will not be beyond the upper surface of the decking planks 12.

On the under side of the shoreward end of my dock, box beam blocks 20 are provided to support the anchorin-g pipe 21. These various members are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and preferably structurally joined by welding. The anchoring pipe 21 should project laterally beyond each of the side beams 14 to provide for easy anchoring by staking (not illustrated) if this be desired.

The forward floating end of my dock carries the floatwheell illustrated in FIGURE 6. It comprises the pipe axle 23, of a length substantially equal to that of the width (shorter dimension) of my dock, rigidly carrying upon it the axially aligned cylindrical floats 24. I prefer to use for floats 24 ordinary steel barrels of commerce, though any similar structurally r-igid cylinder having an enclosed central chamber to provide buoyancy would fill the purposes of my invention but possibly not so economically so. I prefer to place a sheet-like fillet 25 about the joining surfaces of the axle 23 and head of the barrel 24 to more evenly distribute pressures between said members, and I prefer to join all of these members by brazing or welding.

The bracket which holds the pipe axle 23 to the lower portion of the frame 13 is shown in isometric view in FIGURE 6. This bracket has a horizontally extending leg 27 adapted to be rigidly afiixed to the frame 13 and a vertically downwardly project-ing leg 28 carrying the hole 29 adapted to rotatably mount the axle 23. I prefer to place a circular fillet 311 about the hole 29 to more evenly distribute the pressures between the pipe axtle 23 and the surrounding portion of the vertical leg 28. The holes 29 should be such as to allow free and easy rotation of the pipe axle 23 therein, and the member 39 aids this function by increasing the bearing surface between both members. The length of the downward projection of the vertical leg 28 must be such as to allow rotary clearance of the floats 24 under the underside of the frame 13 as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGURES 7 and 5.

I prefer to construct my docks in unit sizes of approximately eight feet in width and twenty feet in length. For docks of this size I prefer to use three-quarter inch cedar planking for the decking planks 12 and box beams 14, 15, 16 made from a fairly rigid sheet metal. With this sizing I prefer to use ordinary barrels of commerce for the floatwheels 24 and find that they work quite satisfactorily. If additional buoyancy be needed to maintain the dock in floating condition under an extensive live load, bats of foam rubber (not shown) or some similar fiotant may be placed under the dock near its floating end.

Oftentimes with sheet metal box beams as long as the side beams 14, it is necessary to provide some sort of a simple truss to give sufficient structural rigidity so that the dock is not overly flexible. This may be done as illustrated in the cross-section view of FIGURE 4 by means of a truss rod 31 as illustrated. The rod 31 may be adjustably tightened against the ends 17 of .the beams 14 by means of the nuts 32 bearing on the washers 33. The truss rod 31 is maintained against the lower surface of the beam 14 in its middle portion by the I bolt 34, held in position by the nut 35 bearing against the washer 36, which in turn bears against the undersurface of the side beam 14. This truss may be adjustably tightened as necessary.

In operation, it sometimes is difficult to maintain a dock in a position substantially normal .to the shoreline, especially where there are substantial surface currents of water. A form of my invention providing for lateral stability under such conditions is shown in FIGURE 8, et seq. In this form of invention a swimmers ladder 37 of commerce is attached near the outer side portions as illustrated in FIGURE 9 with the lower end of the ladder 37 resting on the bottom 38 of the body of water in question.

I prefer to adjustably and pivotably attach the swimming ladders 37 to my dock and the simplest method I have found of so doing is as illustrated in FIGURE 8, et seq. A recess 40, as best shown in FIGURE 10, is provided in the angle member 39 at an appropriate position to receive rungs of the ladder 37. Short lengths of pipe 41, to receive the pin 42, are welded to the extended legs of the member 39 in a fashion such as not to block 4 the recess 40. The headed pin 42 is then provided to fit within the pipes 41 to releasably hold a swim ladder rung within the recess 40.

With this arrangement of swim ladders 37 and with the ladders extending laterally in a downward direction, as the dock be moved laterally it will merely be raised upon the ladder on the side toward which the motion be directed, and the ladder will be merely pushed more firmly into the bottom of a lake. In fact, with sufliciently violent action the dock will actually be slightly raised upon the two ladders 37. The ladder 37 also serves the additional purpose of aiding swimmers who may be swimming from the dock in climbing from the water onto it.

It is to be seen from the foregoing construction that the dock described may be lifted at its shoreward end and rolled upon the float-wheel 22 to the water and thence pushed out in it as far as desired, and the procedure may be reversed to retract the dock from the water. With the structure and sizes heretofore indicated this is a relatively simple one-man operation.

While a specific embodiment of my invention has been disclosed in the foregoing specification, it should be under stood that the specific terminology and structure is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts, modifications of detail and substitutions of material maybe resorted to, without departing from the essence, scope and spirit of my invention herein disclosedand hereinafter claimed.

Having thusly described my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and

What I claim is:

A movable floating dock of the nature aforesaid, comprising, in combination, a rigid, planar, rectangular frame having peripheral beams and intermediate cross members, said members having internal enclosed buoyant chambers to aid said member in flotation; elongate decking positioned on the upper side thereof so as to present an upper planar surface being supported by said frame but not completely coextensive therewith, said planking being fastened thereto in a rigid fashion; means at the shore end of said dock to anchor said end to the shore upon which it rests; enclosed cylindrical float means having an elongate pipe axle, of a length substantially equal to the shorter dimension of said dock, nonrotatably carrying thereon two spaced axially aligned cylindrical floats having sealed interior chambers to provide flotation, said axle being mounted rotatably in a plurality of downwardly extending brackets upon the underside of said dock frame, perpendicular to its longer dimension to support said floating end upon a body of water and act as wheels to aid in movement thereof over land; structurally attached paired brackets near each of the lateral floating end portions of said dock having recesses to receive and releasably hold ladder rungs; and ladders releasably pivotably carried on each side of said clock by said brackets, extending downward from the floating end of said dock to the bottom therebelow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,336,140 12/1943 Vogler 614 2,418,597 4/1947 Neff 182116 2,809,496 10/ 1957 Geil 61-67 3,009,326 11/1961 Williams 61-A8 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,338,284 8/1963 France.

743,995 1959 Great Britain.

472,673 6/ 1952 Italy.

OTHER REFERENCES The Rudder (publication), April 1957, p. 29.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Examiner. 

